Decisions set out in the book have been made under delegated powers by the Chief Executive, Executive Directors or the Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer, in consultation either with the relevant committee or Lead Councillor.

The Decision Book process has been altered to suspend the current Councillors’ call-in arrangements within the 10-day period after its publication and replace it with the ability during that period for three Councillors to request a retrospective review of the decision in writing to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

The decision book can be accessed on the Council’s website – www.reading.gov.uk/decisionbooks.

The officer reports accompanying the decisions are attached.

Contact: Richard Woodford Committee Services
Tel: 0118 937 2332
e-mail: richard.woodford@reading.gov.uk

In response to the Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic, the government announced there would be support for small businesses, and businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, delivered through the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Grant Fund respectively.

On 1st May, the Government announced that it is providing local authorities with additional funding to target those small businesses with high fixed property-related costs not eligible for the above grant schemes. The additional funding represents a 5% uplift on the £12.33b funding previously announced for the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund, so up to £617m, is available nationally. The exact amount for each authority is still to be confirmed, but Reading’s share will be in the region of £1.4m.

The Government have set some broad national criteria for the funds but are allowing local authorities to determine their own local award schemes as they recognise that economic need will vary across the country, so want local authorities to exercise their local knowledge and discretion.

This report sets out the national guidance and proposed offer to Reading Businesses, taking into consideration demand, economic need and consistency with our neighbouring authorities.

It is the decision of the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council that a 2 tier Discretionary Grant Fund Scheme in respect of businesses meeting the following criteria is introduced:

- Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible work spaces
which do not have their own business rates assessment but have an estimated rateable value of £15,000 or less to align with the small business rates grant scheme. The assumed RV will be based on annual rent or mortgage payments due in the financial year. In addition, checks will be undertaken to ensure the business would be eligible for Small Business Rates Relief, had it had its own liability to pay business rates. The Small Business Rates Relief criteria will be used to determine eligibility.

- Bed & Breakfasts which pay Council Tax instead of business rates will be considered where there is an estimated maximum rateable value of £51,000 in line with the retail, hospitality and leisure grant scheme. The estimated RV will be based on annual rental or mortgage payments due in the financial year.

- Regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment, but with fixed locations in the borough and an estimated maximum rateable value of £51,000 in line with the retail, hospitality and leisure grant scheme. The assumed RV of £51,000 or less will be based on an annual rent or mortgage payment due in the financial year.

- Charitable businesses in receipt of Charitable Business Rates Relief, who would otherwise have been entitled to Small Business Rates Relief will require an assessment to ensure the business would be eligible for Small Business Rates Relief. The Small Business Rates Relief criteria will be used to determine eligibility.
That a two-tier payment approach is introduced as follows:

Tier One Payments– Significant loss of income due to Covid19, with an estimated rateable value of between £15,000 and £51,000 based on annual rent or mortgage payment.

Tier Two Payments- Significant loss of income due to Covid19, with an estimated rateable value of £15,000 or less based on equivalent annual rent or mortgage payment.

And that grants awarded from this fund will be capped at £10,000.

That the value of the grant awards. for both tiers will be determined by the number of eligible applications following closure of the application window. Tier 1 will be capped at £10,000, this is however dependant on eligible demand and therefore may decrease on a pro-rata basis once demand has been established, Tier 2 will be proportionately lower than Tier 1 and determined once eligible demand is understood.

That a 2-week application window will run from 1st June to 14th June inclusive.

That the Executive Director of Resources, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Lead Councillor for Corporate and Consumer Services, review the policy on 15 June 2020. The Council reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria, and funding thresholds, as a result.